“his is classic strong-man stuff on Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela model. Mr. Ortega’s approval rating is in the low-30% range and he’d have a hard time winning a fair election against a united opposition. But he controls the nation’s electoral council, and in the 2008 municipal races—the most important elected checks on the president—the council refused to provide a transparent accounting of the vote tally. It also blocked international and local observers, and the vote was marred by claims of widespread fraud. The international community watched all this but did nothing. And now Mr. Ortega is taking the next chavista step toward indefinite rule.”

Beslutningen er ikke mindst problematisk, fordi den ifølge pressen i Nicaragua kun kom i stand, fordi 3 af højesteretsdommerne – alle med tilknytning til oppositionen, ikke kunne nå frem til domsfohandlingerne, hvorefter der indsattes 3 sandinistvenlige dommere. Efterfølgende har præsident Ortega udstedt et dekret om, at afgørelsen ikke kan ankes.

Som WSJ slutter af med;

Hondurans deposed Mr. Zelaya because he was showing similar designs on changing their constitution to be able to run again and stay in power. Hondurans have to live in Mr. Ortega’s neighborhood, and their action against Mr. Zelaya may well have saved them from Nicaragua’s fate.

Men måske vil Ortegas handlinger gøre det nemmere for Latinamerikanske lande der ikke er begejstrede for Hugo Chavez og hans proselytter at anerkende Honduras kommende præsidentvalg, på trods af de nuværende meldinger om det modsatte  - og Organisationen af Amerikanske Staters totale tavshed om det passerede.